Orchid Beach (Holly Barker 1)

Ham shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Eight forty-five,” Jackson said. “I tried not to wake you.”

“I got hungry,” Ham said, “and I didn’t want any of that health food crap you eat, so I came on down here and made Jackson scramble me some eggs.”

“You want something?” Jackson asked.

“I’ll toast myself a bagel,” she replied.

“I’ve brought Ham up to date on what’s happened,” Jackson said while Holly made her breakfast.

“Jesus, what a mess!” Ham chimed in. “Now I see why you haven’t found the bastards.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Holly said. “Now, Ham, it’s important that you don’t go sticking your nose into this.”

“Why the hell not? Sounds like you could use the help.”

“Ham, I’m running a police department, here, and the city council is watching me like a hawk. I can’t have some gung-ho military type, bent on revenge, messing with my investigation.”

“What investigation? From what Jackson tells me, you’re about investigated out. You don’t have a damn thing to go on.”

> “Ham, how would you like to spend your first few weeks in Orchid Beach in a cell?”

“What?”

“You ever hear of interfering with a police investigation? Obstruction of justice?”

“You wouldn’t do that to your old man.”

“Try me. I’m not having you under my feet, and I mean it.” She took a bite of her bagel.

“All right,” Ham said sullenly, “I’ll stay out of your way.”

“I’m talking about work, now, not personal.”

“Well, I certainly don’t seem to be standing in your way personally,” he said, glancing sharply at Jackson. “I didn’t slow you down last night, did I?”

“Ham, I am a woman in my prime, and you are a crusty, interfering old fart, and I don’t want to hear another word about sex.”

Ham turned crimson. “Jesus, who said anything about sex?”

“You did.”

“I did not.”

Jackson broke in. “Is it always like this?”

“Only when he starts bitching about my private life,” Holly said. “He’s never approved of a single man I’ve known.”

Ham pointed at Jackson. “I approve of him,” he said.

Holly blinked. “You do?”

“We’ve been talking for a while, and I reckon I know a lot about him by now.”

Jackson spoke up. “Where I was born, education, hobbies, past sexual experience, time as a cop, my legal practice, how much money I make. Considerably more than you know about me.”

“Ham, you can really be a pain in the ass sometimes,” she said.